Liverpool & Manchester United Leading Host of European Clubs in Race for £111m Kai Havertz

​Liverpool have held 'concrete talks' with Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz over a move to Anfield, while Manchester United have also spoken to the midfielder.

Despite the fact the 20-year-old's contract is due to expire in 2021, his current employers have placed a gargantuan €130m price-tag on his head - that's £111m. That's in large part due to the number of top European clubs interested in signing Havertz, with Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Barcelona all thought to be sniffing around.

The youngster has already represented Germany on seven occasions, having made his senior international while still a teenager. His virtuoso displays so far this season have been a shining light in an otherwise underwhelming campaign for Leverkusen.

According to ​Bild, the ​Bundesliga side view Havertz as the future of their club, seeing them demand a ludicrous fee for his sale. Though ​Liverpool have allegedly opened negotiations with him, they could wait until the summer to press forward with a deal.

The Reds have already ​secured the services of RB Salzburg forward Takumi Minamino for a fee of £7.25m, with the Japan international due to arrive on 1 January.

Of course, Jurgen Klopp's men made no major purchases over the off-season, meaning they still have funds available to use on a big-money move for Havertz.

Nevertheless, Liverpool will likely face stiff competition from ​United, who have looked desperately short of depth in midfield. 

Moreover, there's been a lack of creativity in the Red Devils' engine room, which the Leverkusen man brings in buckets. However, similar criticisms have been made of Klopp's midfield, and that could be a decisive factor for the Reds as they look to add flair in the middle of the park.

What may hamper the Old Trafford side's approach for Havertz is their pursuit of numerous other up-and-coming talents on the continent, with Salzburg's Erling Haaland heavily linked with a switch to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team.

It's unreasonable to believe United can finance a deal for both players, and they appear to have a greater interest in the Norwegian, potentially handing Liverpool an advantage in the race for the German.

They also have the edge over their European rivals after seemingly establishing contact with Havertz.

For more from Ed Alexander, follow him on Twitter